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It quite literally all comes down to this.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Oshae Brissett, Christian Koloko, and Darko Miličić! 🎉

Game 6 Recap

Pacers blow out Thunder 108-91 in Game 6, set up winner-take-all Sunday showdown

For the first time in nine years, the NBA Finals are going to a Game 7.

After going down 3-2 with a loss in Game 5, the Indiana Pacers let OKC take a 10-2 lead in the early goings of last night’s first quarter. But instead of taking that as a bad omen, Indy took the reins of the game, leading by the end of the first and opening up the margin to 64-42 at the end of the first half.

An injured Tyrese Haliburton (14 PTS, 5 AST, 2 STL) was doing what he could and Obi Toppin (20 PTS) and Andrew Nembhard (17 PTS) both hit multiple threes before the break—Indy had 9 three-pointers made in the first half compared to the Thunder’s 1. 😳

And to start the third quarter, the Pacers made sure everyone in the electric Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd knew they weren’t taking their large lead for granted. Toppin continued to serve as an offensive focal point as the Pacers stretched their lead to 30, while Indiana’s physicality led by Pascal Siakam (16 PTS, 13 REB) held Jalen Williams (16 PTS, 0 in second half) and SGA (21 PTS, 6 in second half, 8 TO) to lackluster performances after the break.

Don’t forget a little T.J. McConnell (12 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL) flair! This game was just Pacers, Pacers, Pacers.

The Thunder slowly chipped away at Indiana’s lead during the fourth, cutting the final margin to under 20, but this game wasn’t even that close. This was a dominant effort by a team that knew exactly what was at stake. And if anything, it’s a story of how many forms good roster construction can take in the NBA—and how quickly the landscape can shift.

In 2021-22, the Pacers went 25-57 and the Thunder went 24-58. In two days, one of them will come out on top as 2024-25 NBA champions. Regardless of the outcome of Game 7, that’s an incredible feat to accomplish in just three years.

Of course, that doesn’t mean both teams won’t be fighting tooth and nail to capture the crown in Oklahoma City on Sunday. The Thunder’s only two home losses during this postseason have come in the clutch—the Pacers might need to make some more magic happen if they want to be the ones making history. We can’t wait! 🥳

Around the Association

Buss family to sell majority stake in Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter, ending historic era with record-setting $10B sale

With the Finals coming to a momentous conclusion, the bright lights of Los Angeles couldn’t help but steal some of the attention.

The Buss family has agreed to sell its majority stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter, CEO and chairman of holding company TWG Global and current co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The franchise’s value is reportedly being estimated at $10 billion, which would mark the largest sale of a professional franchise in the history of sports… ever. In the entire world. Yeah. 😱

Jerry Buss originally bought the team for $67.5 million back in 1979, and the Lakers have won 11 championships since then. It’s the end of a high-profile era of Lakers basketball, although Jeanie Buss—Jerry’s daughter and the team’s controlling owner and president since his passing in 2013—will continue in her role as team governor after the sale.

Former Laker Magic Johnson said it best!

Rockets extend second-year HC Ime Udoka

Houston is sending a bold message about their franchise trajectory, as head coach Ime Udoka just received a multi-year contract extension after just two years in H-Town.

The deal, which will reportedly make Udoka one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA, comes after an impressive 52-30 record and a No. 2 finish in the stacked Western Conference this year. After a .500 season the year prior, Houston’s defense ranked fifth-best in the league in 24-25 in large part due to Udoka’s coaching and culture shift.

Though Houston fell to the Warriors in the first round of this year’s playoffs, this season was a breakthrough for the Rockets. With a top-ten draft pick and expanding cap space ahead, this extension provides Houston’s young roster with some continuity and expresses the front office’s confidence in Udoka’s presence long-term.

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Signing Off

Happy Friday, Enjoyers! We can barely hold in our excitement for Sunday’s Game 7, and we’ll be right back in your inbox the next morning with all the analysis, context, and stats you’ll ever need. Peace out! ✌️

Austin Zeglis